Steve's World Blog Information and articles on cities, towns and villages around the world.

March 31, 2011

Ibiza Resorts Santa Eulalia

One of the largest towns and resorts on the island of Ibiza, in the Spanish Balearics, Santa Eulalia des Riu has a pretty palm tree peppered town square, typical of Ibiza (and Spain for that matter), and this is an ideal spot to order a coffee in one of the surrounding bars, and simply watch the world go by. The beach at Santa Eulalia is, of course, the main attraction, and THE place for enjoying the sunny Ibiza weather, relaxing, or maybe even taking part in some water sports. At night don’t expect the vibrant nightclub scene that you might find in San Antonio or Ibiza Town, but Santa Eulalia is still buzzing, with plenty going on for those who like a bit of nightlife, and entertainment. When you have a spare day, pop along to Es Cana and visit the Hippy Market, the best place to buy gifts for those left at home.

Santa Eulalia Street Map.

March 29, 2011

Rugby and Southam Warwickshire

Filed under: England,Facts,History,United Kingdom — Tags: , , , , — needahand @ 7:38 pm

A couple of towns which are situated fairly close together in the county of Warwickshire, Rugby and Southam are both to the south-east of Coventry. Rugby is in fact the 2nd largest town on the county, since Coventry and Birmingham were moved to the West Midlands in 1974. Rugby of course gives its name to the sport, after the new game was “invented” by William Webb Ellis, while playing football at Rugby School in 1823, when he bent the rules by picking up the ball and running with it. Southam is a much smaller town but has an interesting history receiving a charter from Ethelred the Unready during its early day as a Saxon settlement.

Coventry West Midlands

Filed under: England,Facts,History,Travel,United Kingdom — Tags: , , , — needahand @ 9:00 am

Previously part of Warwickshire, but, since the 1974 counties shake up, one of the cities of the West Midlands, Coventry is a large city with over 300,000 residents. It has a proud history of industry, first in weaving, then coal mining and finally car manufacture. The history of the city however goes back beyond any of these industries, to Saxon times, when it grew up around a Saxon nunnery during the seventh century. The modern history of Coventry is more brutal, with its almost total destruction by German bombing during World War 2. Due to this damage the city appears mostly modern, though a surprising number of old buildings survived, including Bird’s Hospital, the Charterhouse, the Golden Cross Inn and the St Mary’s Guild Hall. Many may not realise that a river runs under Coventry city centre, the River Sherbourne was mostly paved over, during the rebuilding work that took place after the War, outside the city the river is a nice place to take a stroll when the weather is fine. Coventry is approximately ninety seven miles from central London.

March 28, 2011

Figueres Costa Brava Catalonia

Filed under: Costa Brava,Spain,Travel — Tags: , , , , , , , , — needahand @ 3:03 pm

A Spanish town in the Catalonia region of northern Spain, Figueres is mostly famous as the birthplace of Spanish artist Salvador Dali, and as such attracts thousands of holidaymakers and art fanatics, who visit to view a big museum which is dedicated to his work and called the Teatre-Museu Gala Salvador Dali. Figueres is actually a sizeable town in its own right, and has a population of over 40,000 residents, the towns name is thought to derive from the Visigothic language. A popular day trip from many of the coastal resorts on the Costa Brava coastline, Figueres shold certainly be on your hot list of places to visit whilst in the area. It lies in the north-eastern section of Catalonia, and is just 40 kilometres from the provincial capital Girona, some close by coastal resorts include Roses, Empuriabrava, Cadaques, L’Escala and Llança, so if you are visiting any of these resorts, this could be a good idea for a day trip, especially if you are an art fan, in which case it will be a real treat. Pick a day when the weather is not so hot,then you can take your time and walk around Figueres in comfort, not missing a good beach day in the process.

March 26, 2011

Spanish Days of the Week

Filed under: Facts,Spain,Uncategorized — Tags: , — needahand @ 7:55 pm

Spanish Days of the Week – One of the important lessons when learning Spanish is to learn the Spanish days of the week – in general conversation you will use these frequently and being familiar with them is an essential part of learning to speak Spanish. Check out our webpage with tips on how to say and learn the words: Spanish Days of the Week.

March 25, 2011

Warwickshire Towns

Located in the West Midlands region of England in the United Kingdom, Warwickshire comprises some famous towns and popular tourist destinations. Its worldwide fame as the birthplace of William Shakespeare gives it its nickname “Shakespeare’s county” though of course it has much more to offer, such as Warwick Castle, located in the county town of Warwick, a Norman castle built on the foundations of a former Anglo-Saxon burg. The county also boasts a famous spa town in the form of Leamington Spa, known to the Romans but mostly developed much later, in the 19th century. One of the counties largest towns, located in the heart of coal mining country, Nuneaton was actually better known for its textiles, it too goes back to Saxon times but grew mostly later around a Benedictine nunnery. The town with which William Shakespeare is inextricably linked is, of course, Stratford-Upon-Avon, and life in this pretty town seems to revolve around the Bard and everything connected to him.

Leicestershire Towns

Continuing our series of posts on Leicestershire, today we shall be visiting 4 more towns to the west of the city of Leicester, Coalville, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Hinckley and Lutterworth. Coalville and Ashby-de-la-Zouch are two ex-coalmining towns, the name Coalville of course, slightly gives this away, and in fact it has seen the digging of coal since medieval times, and continued until the decline in the industry in the late twentieth century. Ashby-de-la-Zouch has not been quite so reliant on mining, with other industries like brick-making and ribbon making, to supplement the coal. Hinckley on the other hand is famous for the production of hosiery and stockings, second only to Leicester for this specialised trade. The Warwickshire border runs between Hinckley and Nuneaton which is only five miles away. Lastly we shall consider Lutterworth, a smaller town with around eight thousand residents, Lutterworth got its name from the Old Norse, and has some ancient buildings.

March 24, 2011

Bodies Found in Ashbury Oxfordshire

Filed under: England,news,United Kingdom — Tags: , , , — needahand @ 7:50 pm

Latest news suggests that 2 bodies have been found near to the village of Ashbury in Oxfordshire. It is thought that one of the bodies is that of Sian O’Callaghan, the 22 year old girl who went missing in Swindon at the weekend. The surprising fact is that there were two bodies, the identity of the other body is unknown. A man has been arrested in Swindon, and his taxi taken away by the police. Ashbury is situated close to the Oxfordshire border with Wiltshire. This fast moving and shocking story continues.

Leicestershire Populations

A county located in the East Midlands region of England, United Kingdom, Leicestershire is named after its large and populous city Leicester. In fact the urban sprawl of Leicester and its outlying towns and villages account for a large proportion of the counties population, with the only other sizeable towns being Loughborough (the second largest), Market Harborough, Melton Mowbray and Ashby-de-la-Zouch. Leicester’s urban areas are home to over 440,000, while the second largest Loughborough has only around 58,000. Market Harborough to the south-east of Leicester has a population of just 20,000 and Melton Mowbray (famous for its cheese and its pork pies) a little higher at 25,000, while Ashby-de-la-Zouch brings up the rear with just 12,000.

Cala Blanca Beach Menorca

Filed under: Balearic Islands,Holidays,Spain — Tags: , , , , , — needahand @ 12:06 pm

When visiting the Menorca coastal resort of Cala Blanca, you will no doubt be looking for the main attraction of the resort, which is of course, the beach. The white sandy beach which in fact gives Cala Blanca its name, is surrounded by modest cliffs, which are peppered with luxury detached villas, some private, some available for rent. Beside pretty pine wood lie the residential areas of the resort and also what there is of a commercial centre, Menorca being very quiet in this respect, but a few shops and bars to provide visitors with the essentials. You will probably spend most of your time in Cala Blanca on the beach, enjoying the sunny weather and relaxing beside the clear, blue, Mediterranean waters. You could also head along to neighbouring Cala Santandria, where an equally pleasant beach is available or for change pop along to the city of Ciutadella, where you can visit the pretty harbour and see some historic buildings, as this was once the capital of Menorca (Minorca).

March 22, 2011

Thorpe Malsor Map

Filed under: England,maps,United Kingdom — Tags: , , , — needahand @ 5:58 pm

 


View larger map

Thorpe Malsor Map: Above you can view a detailed street map of Thorpe Malsor, a village to the west of Kettering in Northamptonshire. Thorpe Malsor has a 13th century church and a 16th century well.

Desborough Rothwell Loddington and Braybrooke

Filed under: England,History,United Kingdom — Tags: , , , , , — needahand @ 5:42 pm

Four of the lesser known of Northamptonshire’s towns and villages, Desborough, Rothwell, Loddington and Braybrooke, are all in the Kettering area, and all lie to the west of that larger town. The largest of the towns, Desborough grew around the weaving industry and now has a population of approximately 8,000. Another town of a similar size is Rothwell, its well known Market House, was designed by the eccentric William Grumbold, and took over three hundred years to complete. The village of Loddington lies close to the Cransley Reservoir, and has a population of just four hundred. Finally the village of Braybrooke used to be the site of a fortified manor house, called Braybrooke Castle, little now remains of this structure, Braybrooke has a population of just three hundred.

March 20, 2011

Towcester Rushden and Corby

Filed under: England,History,United Kingdom — Tags: , , , , — needahand @ 6:02 pm

Towcester Rushden and Corby – Three widely differing towns located in the county of Northamptonshire, Towcester, Rushden and Corby are 3 of the larger towns in the county. Towcester famous for its racecourse actually dates from Roman times, when it was a significant settlement, it is a charming place with a 12 century church. Rushden is a growing town, the 5th largest in the county, with over one fifth of its 10,000 population arriving in the last 10 years, it grew around a variety of industries including lacemaking. Corby is an almost entirely industrial town, peppered with industrial estates, it grew around first the iron ore industry then later steelmaking, which produced a boom for the town during the twentieth century. These three towns surround the county town of Northampton, Towcester to the south-west, Rushden to the east and Corby to the north-east.

Northamptonshire Map.

March 17, 2011

Upwey Weymouth Dorset

Filed under: England,Holidays,Travel,United Kingdom — Tags: , , , , , , — needahand @ 2:05 pm

A charming little village which is close to Weymouth in Dorset, Upwey is well known for its Upwey Wishing Well, which is at the source of the River Wey in the South Dorset Downs. The Wishing Well which has been a tourist attraction in Upwey since Victorian times, it now actually a tea room, set amongst some delightful water gardens. Close by is a water mill, originally built in the eighteenth century it was remodelled in 1802. The water mill even featured in a book by the famous author Thomas Hardy. Upwey’s parish church of Saint Lawrence dates from the thirteenth century. Upwey is a good spot for your stay in Dorset and there are a number of self-catering cottages available in the village. Just a short way (5 miles) from Upway is the ever popular seaside resort of Weymouth, well loved and well visited even in these awkward times for the British coastal resort. Weymouth has plenty of sandy beaches, perfect for a family trip when the weather is fine. Easily accessible is the Jurassic Coast a beautiful world heritage site.

March 16, 2011

Lowestoft Maritime Museum

Filed under: England,History,Holidays,United Kingdom — Tags: , , , , , — needahand @ 1:10 pm

One of the most popular attractions in the Lowestoft, Suffolk area, the Lowestoft Maritime Museum is located in Whapload Road, and opened in 1958 as a resource for local people to trace the maritime history of this area. Ideal for a visit when the weather is not so good, it was founded by the Lowestoft and East Suffolk Maritime Society in Robert Sparrow’s cottage, in what is known as “Sparrows Nest Park”, the museum housed in a small cottage, has rooms featuring various aspects of Lowestoft’s maritime history, specifically the fishing industry, with exhibits of nets, tools and trawling equipment. So if you are planning a visit or holiday in the Lowestoft, Great Yarmouth or Corton areas, this year, be sure to head along to this fine museum and learn something of the industry which has been so important for the area. The address of the Lowestoft Maritime Museum is: Maritime Museum – Sparrows Nest, Whapload Rd, Lowestoft, Suffolk NR32 1XG. Telephone Number: 01502 56196301502 561963. Website: lowestoftmaritimemuseum.org.uk Lowestoft is 3 miles from Corton and 12 miles from Great Yarmouth.

Older Posts »

Powered by WordPress